KBO’s career saves leader eligible to return from gambling suspension Tuesday – The Korea Herald

Oh Seung-hwan of the Samsung Lions, the all-time saves leader in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) with 277, has served his 72-game suspension, stemming from an overseas gambling conviction.

The KBO handed down the ban in 2016 after Oh received a court fine for gambling. The half-season suspension kicked in when Oh rejoined the Lions last August after getting released by the Colorado Rockies.

Oh pitched for the Lions from 2005 to 2013, before spending the next two years with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan and then parts of four seasons in the majors with the Rockies, the Toronto Blue Jays and the St. Louis Cardinals.

In his first tour of duty in the KBO, Oh had a 1.69 ERA over 510 1/3 innings. He also owns the single season saves record with 47, which he set in 2006 and matched in 2011.

The Lions will host the Kiwoom Heroes for a three-game series starting Tuesday evening at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. They'll have another three-game series at home starting Friday, against the KT Wiz.

The stadium opened in 2016, and Oh has never pitched there. His most recent KBO appearance came on Oct. 2, 2013.

Oh started traveling with the Lions last week and threw a bullpen session while they were in Seoul. Samsung manager Huh Sam-young has said he won't throw Oh into the fire right away, and he will instead ease the right-hander back into action.

"The best-case scenario for us is to have him on the mound with a comfortable lead," Huh said last week.

Eventually, though, Oh will take over as the closer. Woo Kyu-min has done an admirable job in Oh's absence, recording four saves and posting a 3.86 ERA over 9 1/3 innings. The Lions have the second-lowest bullpen ERA in the league with 4.50, and opponents have slugged .379 against their bullpen, the best mark in the KBO.

He pitched in some spring training games with the Lions this year, but his last competitive game came with the Rockies on May 30 last year. He went on the 10-day injured list on June 10 with a left abdominal strain and then was ruled out for the season on July 16 with a right elbow injury.

Oh returned to South Korea in August to undergo an operation.

He spent a big chunk of his 72-game ban rehabbing the elbow. (Yonhap)

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KBO's career saves leader eligible to return from gambling suspension Tuesday - The Korea Herald